Eguavoen justifies his squad selection for Super Eagles friendly against Mexico

NIGERIA Football Federation technical director Austin Eguavoen has explained the selection process of the Super Eagles squad he will be leading to Los Angeles, California for the friendly match against Mexico.

The former Super Eagles captain will head the coaching team to the friendly scheduled for the Los Angeles Coliseum on 3 July.

There has been some criticism of the 25-man home-based squad selected for the friendly over the omission of some players.

However, Eguavoen defended the selection while explaining how tough it was to scout the players.
“It was a bit difficult (putting the team together),” he told the Super Eagles media team.

“Information came a bit late, even at that it’s our country. I’ve been to a few league games, the NPFL, NNL and even the NLO. “We penciled down a whole lot of players and I also had to rely on information from coaches that I know in the league.

“It wasn’t that easy because I have seen a lot of criticism in the pages of newspapers, electronic media as well but it’s all okay.

“The only thing is that people have to do their research first before they speak. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion; it’s not a problem at all.

“Like I said before, coach Paul (Aigbogun) saw some games on the continent and the league as well and I relied also a lot on my colleagues that are also in the league.

“When you give me a player from Enyimba, I ask Stanley Eguma, Ladan Bosso, Salisu and Maikaba. And if three out of the four speak well of a player it is okay. When you give me a player from Plateau United I deviate from Maikaba and ask other coaches and they say the right thing about the player, I just felt that’s the right way to go about it.”

He insisted that the players missing out on the United States trip will get their opportunities later.

”Everybody can’t be invited and my apologies for that,” the former Super Eagles head coach added.

“This is the first game, other games will come and I might not be the next coach. If we have left some players out they shouldn’t feel so bad. And before people do or say something they should do their research.

“We submitted 35 names but we needed to cut it down because of the process of getting visas. The American embassy wanted a certain number of players to be submitted at a certain date. So it was a bit difficult.

“However, there are still more games to come and everybody will have their opportunity.”

Eguavoen, who coached the Super Eagles to third place at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006, will take temporary charge of the team for the Mexico friendly only.